UMVA has learned that Federico Chiesa, the Italian winger, is increasingly likely to leave Liverpool in the near future, with a return to Serie A being his top priority.
The 29-year-old's potential departure comes as no surprise, given his relative lack of impact at Anfield since joining the club. With new manager Andoni Iraola at the helm, Liverpool are expected to make significant changes to their squad this summer, and Chiesa's exit could be one of the first dominoes to fall.
According to information obtained by UMVA, several clubs in Italy are keen on bringing Chiesa back to Serie A, with Napoli and Como leading the charge. Both clubs are monitoring the situation closely, but Liverpool's asking price of €20m could prove a stumbling block.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Liverpool are open to letting Chiesa go, but they won't want to lose him on the cheap. The Reds are expected to demand around €20m for the winger, and it's unclear if interested clubs will be willing to meet that valuation.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Chiesa's representatives will have further talks with Liverpool in pre-season, and the expectation is that he'll be informed that he can leave. A permanent sale is Liverpool's preference, but they may be open to discussing a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
Napoli and Como are expected to make concrete moves for Chiesa soon, but a timeline is still unclear. What's certain, however, is that Chiesa's likely exit comes at a challenging time for Liverpool, who are already dealing with the loss of several experienced players, including Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate.
As Liverpool navigate this period of upheaval, they'll need to ensure they have a strong transfer window, bringing in new additions to replace big names while also clearing out deadwood like Chiesa. However, they'll also need to be careful not to give up too much depth, which someone like Chiesa provides.
